Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Game Preview: Stanford Ty Montgomery (45 catches for 662 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games) and Devon Cajuste (22 catches for 396 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games) are Hogan's favorite targets. The pair will have a significant height advantage over the Irish starting cornerbacks: 6-0 cornerback Bennett Jackson and 5-11 KeiVarae Russell. Notre Dame's secondary has steadily improved throughout the season even before the statistical bump of playing rush-happy Air Force and Navy. The Irish rose to No. 25 (209.4 yards per game) after their 10th contest. Advantage: Even Notre Dame Running Game Vs. Stanford Run Defense Notre Dame enters its season finale in a similar situation in which it opened the season against Temple Aug. 31 — without a rushing identity. Four different running backs have all received the bulk of carries at different times, but juniors George Atkinson III (83) and Cam McDaniel (107) easily lead the team in carries through 10 games. Fans continue to call for freshman Tarean Folston to pace the Irish rushing attack after his 140-yard performance against Navy. Surprisingly, Notre Dame beat Stanford a year ago despite having an average performance on the ground (150 rushing yards and 3.4 yards per carry). To win on the road against the Cardinal and its fourth-ranked rush defense (91.1 yards allowed per game) will require Notre Dame's top effort of the season. Even without fifth-year senior defensive end Ben Gardner (out for the season with a pectoral muscle injury), Stanford is one of seven teams to allow fewer than 100 rushing yards per game this year. Led by fifth-year senior linebacker Shayne Skov's 81 tackles, the Cardinal makes every yard a battle for opposing offenses. Versus Oregon, Skov recorded nine tackles, two stops for loss, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Junior linebacker A.J. Tarpley has also been a playmaker on defense, with 72 tackles (five for loss), one interception, one sack and one forced fumble in 10 games. Advantage: Stanford Notre Dame Passing Game Vs. Stanford Pass Defense Senior quarterback Tommy Rees came to the rescue in the fourth quarter and overtime of last year's victory after Everett Golson left the game with a concussion. Rees completed all four of his throws for 43 yards and the eventual game-winning touchdown to TJ Jones. He also engineered the game-tying drive at the end of regulation when Kyle Brindza converted a 22-yard field goal attempt. In Rees' only start against the Cardinal — a 2814 loss at Stanford in 2011 — he was eventually benched in favor of Andrew Hendrix after fumbling once and completing just 6 of 13 passes for 60 yards with an interception. This year, however, he is in search of his first signature victory as the Notre Dame starting quarterback in what will be his final opportunity. Notre Dame's 42nd-ranked passing offense (256.0 yards per contest) goes up against one of Stanford's few vulnerable areas: its 102nd-ranked passing defense (253.9 yards allowed per game). Utah sophomore quarterback Travis Wilson (23 of 34 for 234 yards with two touchdowns) and USC redshirt sophomore quarterback Cody Kessler (25 of 37 for 288 yards with a touchdown) were both very efficient in the two Stanford losses this season. A similar performance by Rees could signal an Irish upset. Advantage: Even Special Teams Notre Dame's disastrous kickoff coverage (123rd with an average of 26.1 yards through 10 games) has threatened to cost the Irish all season. This might be the game. Montgomery has already returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and averages 31.2 yards per opportunity. Junior kicker Jordan Williamson has been depend-